Total Hip Replacement

A total hip replacement, or total hip arthroplasty is a surgical procedure in which the arthritic portions of the hip are removed and replaced with a new, artificial joint. The new hip joint consists of 2 components, one to replace the head of the femur (the ball part of the thigh bone) and another which replaces the socket (acetabulum).
 
Advances in techniques and materials achieved in recent years have resulted in excellent outcomes and very high patient satisfaction, with significant pain relief and improvement in quality of life. Patients are able to perform day to day activities such as sitting, walking and driving much more comfortable than before.

For many, the results are almost immediate but for the majority, full recovery can be expected to take between 6 and 9 months depending on the type of surgery you have, your overall health and how well you respond to rehabilitation. Patients may expect to be in hospital for approximately 3-4 days on average.
 
The longevity of a hip replacement depend on several factors, although for the majority of patients would not ever require another operation. The surgical expertise including surgeon volume and experience, the activity level of the patient, the weight of the patient and other factors would have an influence on the longevity of the implant. Typically, a hip replacement  might be expected to last ten to fifteen years. 
 
A regional (spinal or epidural) anaesthetic and sedation or a general anaesthetic would be required to perform the operation, which takes approximately 1-2 hours. The operation begins with an incision of about six inches long over the hip joint. The ball and socket are removed and the new artificial parts fitted.
 
Your hip replacement may be implanted with bone cement - a "cemented" hip replacement. Alternatively an "uncemented" procedure is used in which the artificial joints have thousands of tiny holes that allow the bone to grow into and retain the position of implanted hip.
 
Occasionally, a "hybrid" hip replacement is performed, which consists of a cemented ball and an un-cemented socket. The type of hip replacement you receive will usually have been discussed with you prior to the operation. A blood transfusion may be required due to blood loss during the operation.